New Addiction

While at work on Friday I discovered something that has quickly become a new addiction. I have been checking and updating it at every opportunity.
WikiAnswers is a site linked to Wikipedia on which anyone can pose a question and equally anyone can answer it. So, I set myself up as a member and have been answering questions since Friday. I have only made 44 contributions so far, but the addictive thing about the site is reading what some of the questions are. Some are written in very bad English and I can only assume that either the posers of the questions are foreign (and thus speak vastly better English than I speak any other language), or are using a translator that doesn't quite do it. Then again, some of the questions, especially the ones about relationships, are just plain funny.

Here are some examples of the questions on there right now:
Who sings only got four mints to save the world?
What was Adolf Hitlers childhood like during both the wars?
Whats good with lesbians?

To the really obscure:
What items did Lincoln have with him when he got shot?
Is there a list of clothing in alphabetical order?

I've put the individual links in so you can check that I am not making these up. If you check it out enjoy and pass on the fun, and the knowledge.

Glorious Sunshine

I had a nice relaxing day today out in the sunshine. I decided to go for a walk at about 11:00 not knowing where I was going I grabbed a small bag, filled it with my sunscreen, my digital camera (like I was going to use that piece of s**t), a book and pad and pen (in case my long missing writing inspiration hit me while I was out) and set off. I got a tube to Tottenham Court Road, bought some lunch and ate it in Soho Square, which was surprisingly quiet for such a sunny day. I wandered around to Orbital Comics and Forbidden Planet and managed to avoid major temptation, only buying 2 reference comics (as I stated I would continue to do when I gave up buying comics a couple of months ago). I had a second short stay in Soho Square before walking back towards home and sitting at Lakeside Terrace watching the fish and ducks for an hour before returning home. It was wonderfully relaxing, but would have been so much better in company. Shame. Let's hope it results in at least a small amount of colour on my arms and legs.

Oh Well!!

In the end I stayed at home, had some dinner and watched Dr Who - "Last of the Time Lords" on BBC iPlayer (not that impressed with John Simm's Master upon second viewing, but looks forward to seeing Alexandra Moen again in the not too distant future / past?). And that Tom Ellis is certainly a handsome brute though isn't he?
Oh well, time for bed.

What To Do?

I was lucky enough to have the night supervisor come in to work really early this evening and so I got away at 18:20 (that is a whole 40 minutes early, which is a big deal to me).
Unfortunately, it being a beautiful evening and me having two days off now, I want to go into Soho for the night. No one will be out, at least no one I know, and Saturdays are the worst nights to go out on your own (at least for me). I really do not know what to do. Strangely, as well as wanting to go out, I am feeling really quite tired, though I know this will probably disappear if I do go out (even more so if I have a Red Bull or two).
Maybe I'll save myself and enjoy the sunshine tomorrow, and maybe have a few drinks then? Oh, I don't know.
What I would really like is to spend the night relaxing in front of the telly with someone hunky and sweet, watching really some good films and chatting lazily. I wish I wasn't such an old romantic sometimes.

Tedium Unbound

I am sorry for not posting anything here for a couple of days, but I have really not had anything to report or talk about. I have been working and, as usual, absolutely nothing of note has happened.

As I type, I have 4 hours left of this shift and then I have the luxury of 2 days off. It has been a long day! The two guards I'm working "with" do not help, considering they feel that the rota we work too is open to their own personal interpretations, i.e. turning up for their duties when they feel like it, and thinking that I am being a bit harsh when I pull them up on it. I think I know why at least one of them is so against me being in a position of authority (I believe he feels his manhood is threatened, but believe me his manhood is one of the last things I would be interested in!).

Today, however, I have managed at last to find another job to apply for. This time as a Medical Bookings Administrator. I actually applied for 2 positions with the same title with 2 separate employment agencies, but I imagine that it is for the same job, as they both appeared listed on the same day, under the same description and for the same money. Hopefully, if one of the agencies doesn't think I'm appropriate for the job then the other will.
Apart from sounding like a busy job that I could do well and enjoy (assuming the people are nice too), it is based in the West End (i.e. close to Soho), is better money than I am on now, and for less hours. I hope that I get at least an interview, I'm a bit out of practice.
Wish me luck.

Flesh

Facial Dandruff

I don't know what the actual technical term is but I have the equivalent of facial dandruff! Where I got burned on my forehead and nose watching the rugby at the weekend the skin is really dry, despite putting aftersun and other skin creams on about 20 times a day, and has started to peel away. Every five minutes at work today I would have to rub my hands over my face to get rid of the worst of the peeling and then brush the flakes of skin off of my jacket (sorry I hope you weren't eating, especially is Parmesan was involved!).
I also have dry skin patches under my hair and it forms patterns which make my head look like a hairy, cracked egg.
It doesn't feel very attractive, so I'm certain it doesn't look nice either, typical when there were lots of sexy workmen about today.
Only four more work days to go before I can have another day off though. Roll on Sunday!

More Union Cup 09 Photos

Steve from BigBlueBalloon.net kindly pointed me in the direction of some more great photos from this year's Union Cup rugby, courtesy of shotbygrant at Flickr, so I thought I'd also share some of these with you:Here's "my" sexy Cardiff Lions man;The victorious Cardiff Lions X's team;Wayne of the Kings Cross Steelers getting ready for action;"My" Cardiff man again on his way to score a try I believe. In the background seated on the far right in a grey top is Gareth;




A member of the KXS's X's team with Geraint and I in the background;

Union Cup 09

I must say a big THANK YOU to the photographer(s) at BigBlueBalloon.net who provided the photos below (via Facebook). There are way too many photos for me to post anywhere near all of them, so go and check out their site (click on their name above) for a look at some real rugby players, some of whom just happen to be poofs. Here is one of many great action shots from the set of pictures showing KXS against the Emerald Warriors, quite a confusing match to watch with both teams in very similar kits.

Here are the Kings Cross Steelers 15's celebrating with their cup after a hard fought final match.

A mixture of players with the sexy guy from Cardiff Lions in the centre (light grey t-shirt, almost smiling for a change), shame he was straight (what a waste, as is often said of gay guys), but he played really well.

Here are the team from Manchester's Village Spartans.

Some more victory photos from the KXS XV's team (with very sexy player in the middle, and the one laying down ain't bad either).

Ditto (Sexy guy on left, front row).

Cardiff Lions celebrating their 10's team win (sexy guy is on the bottom row, left). Here he is again, showing off his legs.One of the great looking players from KXS 10's.

A shot of the spectators on the Saturday (the XV's final I think). Oh, and look who is centre frame in the green checked shirt next to the wheelchair; it's me! Geraint is behind me in the (very bright) pink top.

Here I am again in the background, and I think that is Geraint again to the left.

You can also just see me in the background of this picture with a cream hooded top in. This was the first day when I got burned. Brilliant photos BigBlueBalloon.net, Thanks again.

It's Me!!!!

I am often moaned at for not having any decent photos of me on the blog, or any social networking site (okay so it is mainly Ray that was nagging me for photos!). So I thought that as I have the camera now (and close shots seem to be the only thing it is good for) I should get some. It is very difficult taking pictures of yourself, and I personally hate those pictures where you can see the camera as someone takes a picture of themselves in the mirror (it's nothing personal just a little foible I have).

So, to show off my sunburned head, which is really dry now and pealing as is my nose (though they don't show up as bad as they are in the photos), I thought I would try it out and I wasn't too disappointed with the result. I hate having my picture taken as I never like the result. I have learned though that instead of having a serious face on when a picture is taken I should always smile, it seems to come out better for me.

Anyone want to come over and rub some cream on my forehead?

Can't Put It Off Any Longer

I've been trying not to give in to sensible thoughts and go to bed early tonight, as I will be back at work tomorrow morning, but I just didn't want to go to bed as I knew that the sooner I go to sleep, the sooner I will be waking up and have to go to work. Silly, I know. But I can't put it off any longer. So goodnight and let's just hope that tomorrow (and the following 5 days) go past very quickly!

Sunday Sun

Despite only getting home and thus to bed at 07:30, I was awake and up again my midday. It was another beautiful sunny day and I thought that I should not waste it. I walked to Soho and purchased a cheap shoulder gym bag thingie and a baseball cap to protect my sore head, before getting a sandwich to eat in Soho Square.
I then walked up and down Compton Street, to see if I could see anyone I knew, or any rugby players, before browsing around a couple of book shops. I then proceeded to Comptons for 1 pint where I saw Terry and a few minutes later he returned with Richard. They were meeting friends at the French House, just around the corner so when I had finished my pint, and saw them outside the pub I went to say goodbye, but ended up joining them for about an hour. They were off to a party so I decided to come home, after briefly toying with the idea of staying out for yet another drink that I didn't really want. I decided that I was incredibly unlikely to see or pull one of the lovely rugby players from the past 2 days so I got a bus home.
I really do not want to go back to work tomorrow. That is the problem with having 12 days off, it reminds you that of what you miss out on when you are working. I will spend my day tomorrow at work looking for a new job. I am renewing my efforts in the hope that this year will be my "new dawn," when everything comes good for me:
No debts, new friends, holiday, new job, and heaven forbid I hope for a boyfriend!!!!

No Scrum For Me Then

When I eventually managed to get into town I headed straight for Comptons, which was where I had learned most of the rugby players would be starting their night out, after I had got some more money out. I immediately bumped into Roger, a friend of Tim's who is renowned for his incredibly bad puns, but it was nice to actually be talking to someone while out for a change.
Tim did call me however to say he would be out for a couple of drinks, which surprised me as he had had a late night the previous night, having gone to the Dr Who series wrap party (lucky beggar). So it wasn't long until Tim shared the pleasure of Roger's "wit".
Tim and I went on to see his friend Niall in the pub where he works for one drink before returning to the gay world at the Duke of Wellington and then Rupert Street. When Tim went home I went on to Barcode, as usual, though I really should have gone home as I was a bit drunk. In there I saw Gareth again and was surprised when he beckoned me over to join him and his friends. I thought that was really nice. He left after a while, but again surprised me with a good night snog, which was very nice. The last time we did that I unfortunately left a mark on his neck causing him to split with his then-boyfriend. Probably why he didn't keep in touch before.
After Barcode I got some food in MacDonalds and got onto a bus, and gave into temptation and headed off to Chariots, thinking that I still had not had a rugby player this weekend and there may be some at the sauna (if I had thought more clearly, it would have made more sense to go to Chariots in Vauxhall, as most of the queens go to that area on a Saturday night!). It was fairly quiet for a Saturday and I did not return home until 07:30, though I wasn't feeling particularly tired or hungover. I did however have to walk carefully as I passed the building where I work (which is on the route home) as my manager was working last night and I didn't want to have to stop and chat. As it was as I entered the road he was leaving, walking away from me, but in the same direction I was going. I slowed down and kept as close to the building on the other side of the road, in the hope that he would not look around and see me. I was lucky. He didn't.

Public Transport Nightmare

On my way back from the Union Cup yesterday I decided to check how much money I had left on my Oyster card, to see if there was enough to get me out and home again. I swiped out of Barbican station alright and went over to the ticket machine. The card would not swipe so I went to the ticket office and the guy there tried it. It wouldn't swipe so he just gave it back to me and went to turn away without saying another word.
After enquiring what I should do he "kindly" decided to help. He asked if I was travelling again today and I said I would be out later. So he gave me a form telling me I should fill it out and bring it back with some form of identification. I popped home, got washed and changed, filled out the form and went back on my way out for the night. I got to the station at about 19:15, the ticket office had closed at 19:00. When he gave me the form he failed to tell me the ticket office was closing soon.
So, I walked to St Paul's tube station, from where I normally get the tube anyway. That ticket office was closed too. The guy on the gate told me that Bank station ticket office was open until 22:00, so I walked there. When I arrived all the ticket offices were closed, having done so at 19:00 like the other 2 stations. The man there was incredibly helpful though and checked that Liverpool Street ticket office would be open before I walked all the way there. Despite having to queue for a couple of minutes the man there kindly sorted out my new Oyster card without any fuss, though I did have to add money to it to be able to complete my night's travelling.

Saturday Rugby

The second day of the Union Cup was much better. Geraint and I got to the playing grounds while the first matches were being played (it wasn't the Steelers so we had planned it that way) and it was already busier than Friday.
There wasn't a cloud in the sky which didn't bode well for my already throbbing head and neck which had suffered from the sun the day before. This time, however, I had brought some sun cream and sprayed that on about every half an hour. My skin suffered, but only in that it became incredibly greasy.

The skill level of the matches seemed higher than the previous day too, I'm not sure if they were all taking it more seriously or if they had more skilled players who could make it on the Saturday and not the Friday, but it was certainly more enjoyable.

There were lots of good looking guys about too. Unlike Pride though, not too many pretty, Muscle Mary types, just good old fashioned, normal looking sexy guys. The hottest for me was one of the Cardiff Lions players, but apparently he is straight, how typical. He looked like a shorter version of Jason Statham, and had a body to match (though slightly more condensed due to the size difference). He was a moody looking guy too, but very sexy. I guess he was just focusing on the game. No one was really there for pulling, just for rugby and socialising.

I was disappointed that I didn't know more people there. In all there were 2 I knew the names of: Wayne, a former barman at Comptons and fireman, who plays for the Steelers 15's, ignored me completely as he tends to do; and Gareth, a good looking Canadian friend of Tim's who I had a late night snog with a few years back. I chatted to Gareth for a bit and then left him with his friends.
We also got chatting to a nice Australian-born guy called James who was only there briefly each day. He was good looking, athletically built and quite softly spoken for an Aussie. His name was all I got though, but hopefully I may see him around.

At the end of play I'm not sure who won the 7's matches as we weren't that interested in them (the Steelers weren't competing in this). The 10's was won by Cardiff Lions and deservedly so, with the Steelers coming second. And finally, the 15's was won by the Steelers themselves in a close fought contest with Manchester's Village Spartans. All in all a good day's rugby and, despite being disappointed that I didn't get any sort of tan on my arms I was happy that my sunburn didn't seem any worse than it had been.
Geraint and I left when the last match was finished. I will have to wait and see if I feel like going to support the Steelers again in the future, it is a possibility and at least I know exactly where to go now.

Burn Baby Burn

The top of my head and the front of my neck, below the Adam's Apple are burned. My face can barely pass for tanned (tanned red) and I really should not be out in the sun again today, but I will go and hopefully find a hat to wear along the way.
I think what may have caused me to burn could be the St John's Wart tablets that I take every day. It does say on the package to "limit exposure to the sun" as it you may become photosensitive and burn easily. Oh well, now I know they weren't fibbing!!
I have just been out to collect my dry cleaning, a reminder that I am unfortunately back to work on Monday for 6 shifts! I don't want to go! Already outside today the sun is very warm and the wind has died down since yesterday, although that could change when we get back to the open fields of the rugby pitches in West Ham! Hopefully I will have a better day today, and hopefully more spectators will turn up and be slightly more approachable than the team groups.

Union Cup First Day

I have just returned from the first day of play at the Union Cup and I was left unimpressed. The rugby itself was okay for amateurs, but the whole event seems so lacklustre. There has been very little press about the event, the Kings Cross Steelers and Union Cup websites haven't been updated since last year, there was no food provided despite the limited information I saw saying there would be a barbecue, and very few spectators turned up today who weren't closely affiliated with clubs. Overall, I could have spent the day doing other things (like sitting at home on the computer knowing me).
I was also incredibly disappointed with my digital camera, which I may as well throw for all the good it did. I couldn't see the viewing screen in the daylight, as it wasn't illuminated enough, so I was basically guessing what I was taking a picture of. Every time I went to take a picture it had turned itself off, so with all the off and on-ing, the batteries were almost gone by the time we left. When I got home I found that EVERY picture I took was out of focus, with one exception. One picture, of some of the rugby action had someone standing in the foreground, he was in focus. Therefore, I have come to the conclusion that anything more than 6 feet away from the lens will be out of focus, which isn't much use at all. I knew I should have saved up for a decent camera. That's £40 down the drain. I don't think I'll even bother taking the camera tomorrow, not much point.
During today though, I did manage to get a bit of colour on my face, that colour being red!!
My whole face looks burned, but only my forehead feels it. It was difficult to judge the weather as the wind was blowing the whole day, therefore I didn't take my sweatshirt off at all. My face however was exposed and it wasn't until I got on the tube to come home that I could feel that it was a bit burned. I have put some aftersun cream on and hopefully that will ease it so that I do not look like a beetroot tomorrow.
I am going to go back to watch the rest of the tournament tomorrow, basically because I have nothing else to do, but this time I'll go prepared with some sandwiches and suncream (knowing my luck though, if I do this it will turn out that they will provide a barbecue tomorrow and it will rain).
Hopefully, tomorrow being a Saturday and not a normal work day, more people will turn up to watch.

Fun Advert

As much as I don't like to advertise on this blog, I have to post this advert which I found courtesy of OutSports.com. Check it out:

Rugby

Just a few good reasons to get into watching rugby: